NDC lost 2020 polls because we left some loose ends untied in a bizarre election – Mahama

John Dramani Mahama, former president of Ghana, has identified one of the reasons why his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), lost the 2020 general election.

The NDC presidential candidate for 2020, who was re-elected by the party for the 2024 elections, stated that the party left some loose ends in the elections.

He stated this over the weekend while attending a three-day NDC Europe Conference in Amsterdam with the European chapters of his party.

"Our 2020 election comeback, which increased our number of seats from 106 to 137 and our number of votes by nearly 1.4 million, was the consequence of the dedication and hard work of each and every one of us, as well as the support of the people of Ghana. Ghanaians have seen the difference and believe in our 2020 People's Manifesto-delivered message.

"Comrades, we did not attain majority status in the legislature. We also were not declared the victors of the 2020 presidential elections because we left some loose ends untied in a bizarre election amidst COVID restrictions and the economic collapse. Our victory in 2024 must be decisive," Mr. Mahama explained.

He added, "As leader and standard-bearer, I offer my unwavering commitment and assurance." I will collaborate with the party's leadership, represented by the General Secretary, to assemble a formidable team and implement strategies and mechanisms to safeguard the votes of the vast majority of Ghanaians. The heedless Akufo Addo and Bawumia administrations have enslaved these Ghanaians in poverty and hardship. The majority of Ghanaians are willing to collaborate with us to establish the Ghana we all desire.

"When I spoke at the Sunday commemoration of the 44th anniversary of the June 4th uprising in Hohoe, I compared the 2024 elections to a peaceful and democratic revolution that will liberate our country and our people from the misrule of a mediocre, irresponsible, and inept government.

"This gathering is a declaration of intent by those of you in the diaspora to join the vast majority of Ghanaians in the collective effort to oust this inept government through a peaceful, free, and fair election in 2024. This is an absolute national requirement, and we cannot and must not forsake the Ghanaian people.

"Seven years of corruption, waste, arrogance, nepotism, abuse of office, violations of human rights, and economic mismanagement have passed. Seven years of irresponsible economic mismanagement have left our people destitute and struggling to subsist from day to day."

Below is the complete text of the address from the town hall meeting:
Let me begin by thanking you all, both the Chapter and Branch executives and members from our various EU countries, for making the sacrifice and investing three days in Amsterdam to discuss the future of our party, the NDC, and how we can contribute to a decisive victory in December 2024.

This conference has been rescheduled twice due to competing events, including the just-concluded May 13 Presidential Primaries. I appreciate your forbearance with me, especially in light of your insistence that I be present in person.

Due to the upcoming by-election in Assin North, it was nearly necessary to reschedule this session once more. However, it is fortunate that we decided to attend and proceed with this event, as this is also a significant gathering for 2024 election strategy.

Greetings, comrades, from your compatriots in Ghana, whom I had the pleasure of visiting and interacting with in all 276 constituencies during the primaries.

This activity has contributed to revitalizing our executives and grassroots members. It enabled us to deliver our message to them and the constituents in their constituencies, reminding them that the National Democratic Congress is still the party to trust for the complete development and welfare of Ghana's citizens.

Therefore, it is our responsibility to rededicate ourselves to working with utmost dedication in our branches to secure the maximum number of votes to ensure a decisive victory in 2024. I would like to reiterate that we must go to the ballots with our referee on December 7, 2024. This referee will be our DILIGENCE, PREPAREDNESS, and EMPHATICAL WINNING of the election.

Our 2020 election comeback, which increased our number of seats from 106 to 137 and our number of ballots by nearly 1,4 million, was the result of the dedication and hard work of everyone involved and the support of the people of Ghana.


Ghanaians have seen the difference and believe in our 2020 People's Manifesto-delivered message.

We did not become the majority party in the legislature, comrades. We also were not declared the victors of the 2020 presidential elections because we left some loose ends untied in a bizarre election amidst COVID restrictions and the economic collapse. This is why our victory in 2024 must be decisive.

As leader and standard-bearer, I offer my unwavering commitment and assurance. I will collaborate with the party's leadership, represented by the General Secretary, to assemble a formidable team and implement strategies and mechanisms to safeguard the votes of the vast majority of Ghanaians. The heedless Akufo Addo and Bawumia administrations have enslaved these Ghanaians in poverty and hardship. The majority of Ghanaians are willing to collaborate with us to establish the Ghana we all desire.

Sunday, at the commemoration of the 44th anniversary of the June 4th uprising in Hohoe, I compared the 2024 elections to a peaceful and democratic revolution that will liberate our nation and our people from the grip of a mediocre, irresponsible, and inept government.

This gathering is a declaration of intent by those in the diaspora to join the vast majority of Ghanaians in the collective effort to oust this inept government through a peaceful, free, and fair election in 2024. This is an absolute national requirement, and we cannot and must not forsake the Ghanaian people.

Seven years of corruption, waste, arrogance, nepotism, office abuse, human rights violations, and economic mismanagement have passed. Seven years of irresponsible mismanagement of the economy have left our people shattered and struggling to subsist day by day.

Currently, the Ghanaian economy is one of the worst managed in the globe. Currently, our situation is comparable to that of Sri Lanka.

Ghana, our cherished nation? Nkrumah's Ghana?
Inflation is at record highs, impacting the prices of essential products and services and exacerbating an already severe crisis in the cost of living. The Ghana Cedi has experienced one of its steepest declines in decades. This once garnered the Cedi the unfortunate distinction of being the worst-performing currency in the world.

Businesses are under pressure and on the verge of collapse, leaving many with no option but to close or relocate to neighboring countries. The Bank of Ghana has made the situation worse. It has flagrantly exceeded its financial limit by printing more than 40 billion Ghana cedis to cover the government's budget deficit.

In the past two years, all international credit rating agencies have repeatedly downgraded us to junk status, and we have now defaulted on our domestic and external debt payments. The unilateral and insensitive debt restructuring program has resulted in the expropriation of over GHS 80 billion lent to the government by millions of Ghanaians through the purchase of bonds.

Numerous Ghanaian pensioners and middle-class families' means of subsistence have been severely disrupted. It has resulted in the depressing spectacle of elderly pensioners picketing the Ministry of Finance for payment. Due to the government's inability or unwillingness to pay, local businesses, particularly contractors and other government service providers, are owed tens of billions of Ghana cedis, whose value continues to decline.

Government is also unable to meet all statutory payments, and many designated funds are behind schedule. Even the most fundamental obligations, such as supplying primary schools with textbooks and ensuring that elementary and senior high school students are properly and consistently fed, have become daunting. All of these horrifying events have resulted in unprecedented levels of economic distress for the Ghanaian people.

Millions of your relatives and countrymen back home depend on remittances for their survival. All of this could have been averted if the government had heeded the sound advice of the opposition and other prominent advocates from civil society and academia and acted promptly.


The deliberate concealment of the actual situation through creative accounting and under-declaration of figures, coupled with excessive and wasteful expenditures, has accelerated the impending catastrophe we are currently witnessing.

In the end, too little was done too late, as our economy had deteriorated to the point where securing an IMF program required adopting the strictest conditions. Ghanaians have paid a disproportionate amount to obtain an IMF program. Domestic bondholders have been subjected to severe and excruciating haircuts and will be deprived of a substantial portion of the interest they are owed in 2023.

These haircuts have severe consequences for the financial sector. The deteriorating financial health of Ghanaian banks will undermine the performance of the financial sector and result in employment losses.

In addition to individuals who rely on pension payments for survival, insurance companies and pension funds with investments in government bonds will also suffer.

In addition to this already hostile economic climate, Ghanaians have been hit with multiple levies in the last two years alone. Over 23 additional tax measures will make the lives of our citizens even more unbearable. The rising cost of utilities imposes a heavier burden on enterprises and individuals.

The import duties and excise duties have skyrocketed. No wonder the Ports of Tema and Takoradi have lost volume while the Ports of Togo and Benin remain active and continue to receive goods that should have passed through our ports.

One of the most urgent issues in Ghana today is the rate at which we are losing highly trained (health) professionals to other nations.

I empathize with the youth of Ghana! Their hopelessness and despair are unprecedented in our history. They are currently searching for any opportunity to leave our shores in quest of greener pastures.

How will we restore HOPE to the Ghanaians in the face of their daily difficulties? is the question we must ask ourselves. As the most viable alternative, the NDC's record in governance demonstrates our ability to rise to the occasion. In the past, we have reset our nation's trajectory and restored it to a commendable state of health. We owe it to our nation to once again lead the charge for change and bring solace to the long-suffering people of Ghana.

It would be presumptuous, comrades, to believe that this will occur swiftly or that the abysmal depths to which the NPP's governance has sunk automatically guarantee our electoral victory. We must first acquire the Ghanaian people's trust.

A significant portion of electors have become cynical and weary of our democracy and its benefits as a result of unmet expectations and the government's spectacular failure.

I implore you all to remember that through our actions and policy platforms, we must demonstrate the distinction between our service in government and the nightmare example set by the NPP.

We have held power, and our record is public knowledge. We do not claim perfection, but the NDC will never reach the level of the NPP. We simply cannot and do not share the NPP's recklessness and disdain for the Ghanaian people. We have never been and never will be as profligate, extravagant, and imprudent as the NPP.

We have committed to running a frugal government that avoids the NPP's wastefulness and accomplishes tasks more effectively. The level of economic mismanagement supervised by the NPP is unparalleled in our nation's history.

The NDC values offerings that are substantial, carefully considered, and curated to withstand the test of time while comprehensively addressing some of our most complex issues.

We do not intend to take the mandate of the Ghanaian people for granted. We are aware that we are up against an incumbent government that has demonstrated it is willing to shed the blood of its citizens in order to maintain power, as was abundantly demonstrated during the by-election in Ayawaso West Wuogon and the 2020 elections. The Electoral Commission's impartiality in this election contest is also dubious.

Therefore, we have our work cut out for us. In addition to our superior record to that of the NPP, we must promptly demonstrate to the Ghanaian people that we are capable of governing.


This European Conference is significant because it demonstrates that we can manage our internal affairs, which is the first step towards achieving that goal. It provides a forum for the exchange of unique insights into improved organizational strategies and innovative approaches to mobilizing the Ghanaian populace for a decisive victory in 2024.

The NDC deeply appreciates your contributions to the party's administration and the dazzling insights you bring to the table regarding crucial issues of governance. Additionally, the party recognizes your concerns regarding participation in elections and governance.

Particularly concerning to you have been the constitutional restrictions on dual citizens and their employment in certain government positions in Ghana. A few weeks ago, we suffered what we consider to be a grievous injustice when our representative for Assin North was expelled from the House of Representatives by the Supreme Court on grounds that we find wholly unsatisfactory.

I've previously stated that, if elected president in 2024, I will expedite the elucidation of the constitutional provision on allegiance that prohibits dual citizens from holding certain offices in Ghana. I urge the legislature to take the necessary steps so that Ghana can reap the full benefits of the expertise our citizens have acquired abroad.

ROPAA is another issue that I am aware concerns you and on which I would like to clarify the position of the NDC. We in the NDC have not been fundamentally opposed to ROPAA. We have fought against the potential for selective and unequal implementation, which could be exploited by the incumbent party to the disadvantage of opposition parties.

We have stated that if the ROPAA is ever implemented, it must be implemented for every Ghanaian residing in every location. A Ghanaian residing in Europe should not have a greater right to vote than one living in Asia or Africa, in our view.

We in the NDC will not tolerate a plot or attempt by the NPP and the Electoral Commission to implement a biased ROPAA in favor of the NPP. When we see that all Ghanaians, no matter where they live, will have the right to vote on a level playing field, we will be more than willing to support such a move.

We continue to value your contributions to the development of Ghana, despite the fact that life's vicissitudes have caused you to reside in distant lands in order to practice your trade and earn a living or to pursue some form of personal development.

I am confident that the discussions that began yesterday will ultimately be beneficial to the NDC and provide additional impetus to our preparations to save our country's fortunes, which are currently in grave peril. Additionally, we are strengthening the cooperation between the national and international branches of the party at home.

Today, June 10, marks the 33rd anniversary of the founding of our noble party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Congratulations to the founding fathers and mothers of our party, as well as to all of us who continue to develop and maintain the party's nearly 40,000 branches.

We remember all of our fallen combat companions, including our founder, Flt. Former President Professor John Evans Atta Mills, former Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, and retired Lt. Jerry John Rawlings.

On the 29th of this month, which is Amissah-Arthur's memorial, we will join his family at an event to commemorate his contributions to constructing a better Ghana.

On July 24, we will honor the memory of the late Asomdwehene, as we always have, and I intend to use the occasion to remind Ghanaians of his various contributions to the country and how we can learn from him to accelerate the country's development in the wake of the NPP's failures.

Together with his family, the residents of Keta and Anlo, and the larger NDC family, we must and I will convene a gathering in Keta in November to honor our late founder, Jerry Rawlings.

I appreciate your kind consideration.

I wish everyone at the congress prosperity.